Mourning Dove (24 page)

Tuesday morning at theconference, Lorna introduced Jonathon as if he was the second coming. Theapplause died down and he cleared his throat to begin. Tucked into the curtainsat the back, Pam and Sara sat at a small table close enough to providelogistical support. “What are you scribbling, Pam?”

“I’m doodling. If hegives the same speech this year as he did last, he’s going to lose the entiregathering in five minutes. I’m amazed he can stand up there with a smile on hishung-over face.”

“You don’t like him much,do you?”

“He made a pass at melast year on the second night. He was in the same condition as yesterday. Damnnear got to the point of rape before I managed to bruise his family jewels.Next morning he acted like nothing had happened.”

“Some day I’ll tell youabout the disaster after a cocktail party at his place. But, I had no idea hehad a drinking problem until last night.”

“He asked me a few monthsago to join the staff in Portland. No way was I going to work that close to thebastard. I usually make myself scarce when he flies out; he probably thinks Ilive at the dentist office. You have my complete sympathy, Sara.”

“He hasn’t been all thatbad to work with. The first couple of weeks of employment he was in my face inwhat he called mentoring. Then things got crazy and...for the most part, he’sbeen off chasing problems in California and Washington.”

“You probably end updoing his job and he takes credit for it.”

“Robert Starr knows thework I do. That’s the important thing.”

“I thought the big bosswas going to lead the conference,” Pam said.

“He had to explain to thesenate oversight committee why we’re behind schedule on production of the newchip. He’ll be here on Wednesday. Jonathon Pierce is next on theirinterrogation list and will be out of here tonight.”

“In that case, I justmight applaud his speech.”

“You better, I wrote thedamn thing. He’s just added a few Texas ranch jokes.”

“No wonder everyone’spaying attention this morning. How long have you known Matthew Farrell?”

“We’ve been tossed intothe same projects the last couple months. He grows on you.”

“I wouldn’t mind if hegrew a little on me. But a blind man can see, even without Pierce’s crudeinnuendos, the government man is tethered to you.”

“You think so?” Saralooked past approximately two hundred and fifty people to the front entrance ofthe conference room. Matthew was standing in the back, scanning the room. Henodded when he saw Sara, and slipped into a seat at a back table.

Sara looked down at hercopy of the conference program and noticed for the first time, the spelling onthe name of the second conference sponsor, PaxTel Wireless. Circling the namein pencil with a question mark, she tucked the paper into her folder. “I’ll beright back, Pam.”

***

Matthew Farrell watchedfrom across the room as Sara stood, picked up a black folder, and disappearedbehind a curtain. Laughter broke out after another calf joke. He had to admitJonathon was nothing if he wasn’t consistent.

He scanned the room forproblems and looked back to the table at the end of the stage. She wasn’t backyet. Pam Lawson seemed to have a tic in her neck. Is that a...?Bloody hell!He excused himself from his table partners and slipped out the front.

She wasn’t in thehallway, maybe the restroom? At the end of the hall he knocked on the ladiesroom door, no answer. He stuck his head inside; the room appeared to be empty.Down on his haunches he scanned the stalls for feet, a pair of black geriatricoxfords in the third stall, no one else. Back in the hall he worked his wayaround to the back exit of the conference room and slid into the room behindthe curtain.

“Pam,” he whispered. Noanswer. “Pam,” he called out just a little louder. Still no answer. He pulledthe curtain back just as another round of laughter erupted. Their table wasempty.

Back out in the hall heheaded for the railing and looked down from the mezzanine to the lobby below. Awoman in black with dark auburn hair was heading toward the Michigan Avenueentrance. He raced down the stairs and threaded his way around several hotelguests and a woman in a hotel blazer. On the lobby floor, he turned righttoward the exit doors and stopped when a sharp point was pushed into the middleof his back. On reflex he spun to deflect the knife and disarm his opponent.

An elderly man in agabardine jacket was sprawled on the tile floor. His thick-rimmed glasses andpointed umbrella lay several feet beyond him. “Sir, are you all right?” Matthewknelt down to assist him. “Can you move all your limbs? Do you have painanywhere?”

“I’m all right, youngman. Did you get the number of that bus?” The elderly man with the Englishaccent looked up at him, confused.

“I’m afraid that bus wasme and my clumsiness. I was rushing to catch up with a beautiful woman andplowed into you.”

A crowd was gathering andthe woman in the hotel blazer talked into a walkie-talkie as she trotted towardMatthew and the elderly gent. “Give us some space, please. The situation isunder control,” she said with authority. “What happened here?”

“I’m afraid I backed intothis poor gentleman and knocked him flat. It was an accident.” Matthew lookedthrough the glass entrance doors as the auburn haired woman in black climbedinto the back of a city cab. She wasn’t Sara.

“Do you need a doctor,sir?” The hotel employee asked the man trying to rise from the floor.

“I don’t think so. Just ahelping hand to right myself will do.”

Matthew reached down togive him a hand and the hotel security officer said, “I wouldn’t move just yet,sir. The ambulance is on the way, we have to fill out an incident report.”

“Oh bother, there’s nothingwrong with me, young lady, and this floor is quite drafty. You should cancelthat ambulance as I do not need its services nor will I pay for the expense.”

He grabbed Matthew’s handand tugged to get his assistance getting up. “Are you sure, sir?” Matthewasked. With a nod from the victim Matthew pulled him to a sitting position andstooped to look into his eyes. “This was a bit of surprise this morning, wasn’tit?” he added holding the older man’s fragile hand.

“It certainly was, youngman. It’s nice to run into a fellow countryman. I wouldn’t mind if we hadn’tbeen so literal on our impact. The lady you were chasing must be very specialto you.”

“Yes sir, she is.”

“Do you think we can findmy glasses?” He patted his face in search. “They appear to have fallen off.”

“Are these your glasses,sir?” The hotel security handed them back to him.

“Yes madam. Thank you forretrieving them. I should be getting up now. I’ve caused enough commotion.”Matthew pulled him to a standing position with an anchoring arm beneath the oldgent’s elbow.

“Matthew?”

He turned toward thelobby and there she stood.

“Hello, Sara.” A smilebeamed across his face. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Is this the lovely ladyyou were chasing, young man?” the elderly gentleman asked as he peered throughhis thick glass lenses.

“Yes, sir, she is. Sara,I ran this gentleman down when I was trying to catch up with you.” He turnedback to the man in the gabardine jacket. “Are you sure you’re all right, sir?”

“Name’s Alfred Carmody,young man.”

“I’m Matthew Farrell.” Hepulled a card out of his suit jacket pocket and handed it to his unintendedvictim. “This is my card if I can be of further assistance.” Then Matthewreached down for the umbrella and handed it over with the gallantry of a knightsurrendering his sword to the enemy.

“I wondered where thathad gotten off to.”

With a smile, Matthewadded, “Be careful of the pointed end. I believe it might be perceived as aweapon.”

“Oh my, I bet it would.”

Matthew ushered Sara backinto the lobby as the hotel security officer lead Mr. Carmody into an officeadjacent to the front desk.

“What’s going onMatthew?”

“That’s what I was goingto ask you. Where did you go when you left the conference room?”

“I was looking for you,but I turned the wrong way and ended up in the hotel staff area. I wanted toask you about something.” She pulled a green piece of paper from the blackfolder under her arm. “What do you know about the other sponsor organizations,specifically this one?” she pointed to the name she circled with the penciledquestion mark. “Do you think it might have a link to the code we’re working on?Or am I chasing shadows?”

“I’ll look into it, but Idon’t think it’s connected.”

“Ordinarily, I wouldn’teither, but lately I don’t believe in coincidence. Do you know who I found inthe staff corridor when I went to look for you?”

He shook his head.

“Remember the fitnessclub attendant yesterday when we were in the pool? He came through in theafternoon with a load of towels for the men’s locker room just before youarrived, then again late last night. Only last night, he didn’t have anytowels. He was in the utility hall this morning when I went to look for you.Don’t you think that’s a little odd?”

“I don’t have a name,Sara. What am I going to say to the hotel manager?”

“That’s another thing. Hewasn’t wearing a name badge.”

“You stay by me for therest of the day. If you see him again, point him out. We better get back beforeJonathon winds down.”

They climbed the spiralstairs to the mezzanine level just as the doors to the first conference roomopened. People spilled out onto the railed hallway. “I would suppose Jonathonhas wound down; either that or someone yelled fire. The herd is heading thisway.”

“Oh please, Matthew, nomore references to cows. I get enough of that with Jonathon.”

“There you two are, I’vebeen looking for you.”

“Hi Pam, did we missmuch?” Sara asked.

“It was a great speech,Sara.”

“Thanks.”

“He changed the cow jokesaround. It got him bigger laughs than last year.”

“Why is she thanking youfor the speech?”

“I wrote it except for theranch humor.”

“Pam,” he asked, “I gotto your table shortly after you signaled me. Where did you go?”

“Someone forgot to fillthe water pitcher by the podium. FYI he’s looking for you, Sara.”

“I better go connect.Save us a couple places in the ballroom for lunch.”

Back in the conferenceroom they could see a swarm of people around Jonathon and scanned the room forhotel employees. She shook her head at Matthew’s questioning look. The crowdthinned out and they made their way toward the podium. Jonathon looked up witha smile plastered on his face.

“The speech went overwell, Sara. It’s a shame you weren’t here to enjoy it. I would appreciate it ifyou save the love fest for your own time.”

“Back off, Pierce.”

“A little sensitive arewe, Farrell?”

“That’s enough, Jonathon.I’m here now, what do you want?”

The cowboy stared at himfor another minute like a bull with testosterone overload. “After lunch, Sara,I want you to meet me in my room to go over the workshop you’ll be presentingin the morning. It’s pretty straight forward, Financial Implications ofGovernment Contracts.”

“I know the topic,Jonathon. I put the package together for you. But I thought Pam was going tolead it.”

“You knew for an entireweek you had to leave tonight. It would have been nice to get more lead time toprepare.”

“You just said it. Youput the package together, it’s your baby. Take the helm.” Jonathon looked downat his Rolex. “I have to make a phone call. I’ll see you at 1:30 in my room. Bethere.” Jonathon stepped around them and out the front door of the conferenceroom.

“Sara, do you think Pamalready knows you’re taking over?”

“I’m not sure she evenknows she was supposed to cover for him, Matthew. She said nothing thismorning.”

“Show me the hall youturned down when you went looking for me.”

Within minutes they werescanning a space swarming with hotel employees. Eventually the novelty ofhaving guests roaming the service area wore thin and a man with shiftsupervisor on his nametag approached.

“We’re trying to find thewaiter who was so kind to us this morning,” Matthew said. “We want to thank himpersonally, but he doesn’t appear to be here at the moment.”

“Did you notice his firstname from his name tag?” the supervisor asked.

“I didn’t see his nametag, sir. But he was in here this morning and in the fitness club last nightand yesterday afternoon resupplying the locker rooms with towels.”

“That’s not possible,madam. No one works three shifts in a row.”

“We’re sorry to havedisturbed you. Excuse us.” Matthew steered her back the way they came.

Out in the main corridor,he added, “Are you sure it was the same man all three times. I only saw himonce late last night.”

“Why would hotel staff beloading towels or even checking on an empty locker room at one in the morning?”

***

At lunch, Sara said,“Pam, Jonathon changed his plans for tomorrow morning’s lecture on governmentfinance. Did he mention it to you?”